MPs' pay set to rise to £74,000

The MPs' expenses watchdog, the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, has recommended that MPs' salaries should be increased by £6,000 to £74,000 in 2015. But they face restrictions on their expenses and pension schemes.

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The cost of politics should go down not up. And MPs' pay shouldn't go up while public sector pay is, rightly, being constrained.

Ipsa is consulting on its proposals, which it will review after the next election as it is obliged to do by statute. It is independent, but the Government will repeat our view on the need for restraint.

– Downing Street spokesman

A Number 10 source declined to comment on whether Prime Minister David Cameron would be taking the rise.

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Bob Crow, the general secretary of the Rail Maritime and Transport union has responded to the MPs' expenses watchdog recommendation of increasing MPs' salaries to £74,000 in 2015.

"Be in no doubt, RMT will be fighting for pay rise parity with MPs in all of our negotiations and will have no hesitation in striking to get for our members what the politicians have got for themselves."

RMT transport union leader Bob Crow Credit: Press Association

"If inflation busting pay increases are good enough for the political class then they are good enough for nurses, transport workers, firefighters and the rest of the working class.

"If MPs want to unleash a pay free for all then you can bet your life RMT will be in there fighting to make sure our members get their share of the all", Mr Crow added.

The new salary proposals recommended by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa) that will see MPs' salaries rise by up to 12% will clamp down on a number of costly expense claims, the watchdog said.

£15 expenses available for dinner when the House site beyond 7.30pm will be scrapped, which will save thousands of pounds each year

There will be tighter rules on taxis

Claims for running costs for second homes will be scrapped

'Golden goodbye' payments of up to £65K that used to be handed to departing MPs will be scrapped and replaced with redundancy payments in line with other public sector organisations